Cigar tip perforating machine



Jan. 4, 1938. M. cARABALLo ET A1. 2,104,292

CIGAR TIP PERFORATING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Ind' l" i? Mez/rim Caraallo .ZZW

J'oSeph ZenoZegw Jan. 4, 1938.

M. cARABALLo ET AL' CIGAR TIP PERFORATING MACHINE Filed June 3, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan.- 4, 1938. M. cARABALLo ET AL CIGAR TIP PERFORATING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1955 5 Sheets-'ShamI 5 Patented Jan. 4, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,104,292 CIGAR im PERFORMING MACHINE- Martn Caraballo and Joseph G. Zendegu, Tampa, Fla.

Application Ilune 3, 1935, Serial No. 24,748

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in cigar perforating machines, and more particularly has reference to an improved machine for perforating the closed tip endsof cigars to facilitate the draft of the smoke to the smokers mouth and to dispense with the unpleasant and Vdisagreeable practice of requiring the user to hollow perforating needle is employed to enterV the tip end of the cigar, such needle being tapered to facilitate its entrance with a minimum of disturbance to the structure of the wrapper and filler of the cigar and to insure that the perforation produced by the needle shall be of a substantially conical form with its wider or base end outwardly whereby a better draft will be secured and the likelihood of the perforation becoming clogged is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide that the cuttings ofthe tobacco produced by the penetration of the needle are instantly and completely withdrawn by the action of a suiiicientlypowerful suction, leaving the perforation clear and clean when the needle is removed and assuring that no particles of tobacco are left behind to be drawn into the smokers mouth.

A further object of the invention resides in the use of a cigar tip receiving head having a truly conical cavity to receive the tip ends of cigars of various sizes, as distinguished fromv a rounded cavity which will accurately t only the particular shape of cigar tip conforming to that size.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a cigar perforatingA device adjustable with respect to a gauge table whereby the device may be raised or lowered through the table for accurate alinement with either thick or narrow cigars. y

A still further object of the invention is to produce a compact organization capable of accurately and quickly perforating large quantities of cigars of various shapes and sizes, wherein' the several associated agencies are grouped together in small compass for economical production and operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in View,

'the invention `will be more fully-described here inafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views: I Y Y i5l 'Figure 1 is a top plan View of a cigar perforating machine constructed in'accordance with the present invention. Y y

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on an en- 10 larged scale on the line 3-3 Vof Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar View showing the needle in the retracted position.

Figure 6 is a side View of the preferred form of needle employed. y

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 'I-l in Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken 20 on an enlarged scale on the line 8-8 in Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 9-9 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is Va. fragmentary vertical section through the vacuum receptacle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, II represents a table on which the cigars are placed. This table may be constructed in any suitable fashion but it is preferably provided with side flanges I2 and I3 and a back-board I4, 30`

the table at the front being left free for the convenience of the manipulations of the operator;

The table may be mounted upon any suitable legs or frame-work I4, which frame-Work is also utilized to support a shelf I5.

As shown in Figure 2 an electric or other moy tor I6 is suspended from the shelf I5 so as to be in convenient driving relation to a pump or eX- hauster I1 carried upon the shelf. The shelf also forms a convenient support for the vacuum re- 40 ceptacle I8 connected by a flexible hose or other conduit I9 with the exhauster I1 and with the cigar cutting implement or device by the flexible tube or other 'conduit 20.

The receptacle I8V is shown more particularly 45` in Figure 10 and may be conveniently in the form of a glassjar such as a preserving jar, to enable the process to be observed at all times and to note the accumulation of the cigar cuttings, which may be removed from time to time from the receptacle through its screw cover 2I. Anv elbow 22 passes through the cover 2l and terminates in the upper portion of the receptacle I8. The conduit 20 is connected to the external end .Of this elbow 22.

The other conduit I9 connects with a second elbow 23 passed through the cover 2| and having its inner end disposed within a cylindrical screen 24 carried by a septum or supporting disk 25 held upon the upper part of the jar neck.

Referring more particularly to Figures 3 to '1 inclusive, the flexible vacuum conduit 28 is connected through the intermediary of an elbow 26 with one open end of a hollow plunger 21. The plunger reciprocates in a cylinder 28 which is open at both ends and the plunger 21 is longer than the cylinder, projecting outwardly beyond the same at both ends. At its outer end the cylinder 28 is formed with a shoulder 29 having a perforation 38 therein and an inclined wall 3l leading from the larger internal bore diameter of the plunger 21 to the restricted diameter of the perforation 38. Forwardly beyond the. shoulder 29 is a socket 32 also` in. the plunger for receiving a needle 33 having a rear cylindrical portion to iit snugly within the socket 32 and to abut at its rear end against a shoulder 34 formed by the front wall of the diaphragm 29. The needle is hollow from end to end and has a forward portion 35 of a tapering form for a purpose later to be described. At its free end the needle is cut off diagonally as indicated at'36 to produce an inclined knife edge to facilitate itsrpenetrating the closed tip end of the cigar.

Such tip end of the cigar is received Within a cavity 31 in a head 38. It is to be noted that the internal wall of thercavity 31 is truly conical. In our prior application, above referred to, the wall of the cavity was rounded or partly spherical for the purpose of accurately fitting the tip or nose of a cigar, but it was found in practice that, While such rounded cavity wall was desirable for the particular size of cigar which fitted the same, it was not so desirable for other types of cigars and would not accurately center thin cigars, such as panatelas, where the head was made for coronas or other larger sizes. It is an important consideration to perforate the tip of the cigar as near centrally as practicable and the truly conical wall 31 assists to this end regardless of the size or shape of the cigar `tip which is inserted in the head 38. In the head is a lateral opening 39 to admit a set screw 40 threaded in the forward portion of the plunger 21 for engaging and afxing the hollow needle 33 in the socket. The forward tapered portion 35 of the needle slides freely into and out of the cavity 31 of the head 38 through an opening 4I in the head at approximately the apex of the conical wall 31. Back of this conical wall the head 38 is formed with a shoulder 42 against which the forward end of the plunger 21 is adapted to engage.

The head has a cylindrical part of a diameter to fit tightly and slidingly over the plunger 21 but the head 38 does not move back and forth with the plunger 21 but remains stationary with the plunger cylinder 28. For this purpose the rearmost part of the head 38 is cut away internally as indicated at 43 to t about the rear part of the cylinder 28 to which it may be secured in any appropriate manner as by a clamp collar 44.

The cylinder 23 is carried by a bracket 45 having the perforated arms 43 and 41 to receive therethrough such cylinder 28. The cylinder 28 is moved from the left toward the right into the arms 46 and 41 when assembling the same until the shoulder 48 of the cylinder strikes the arm 46, whereupon the nut 49V is threaded upon the other end of the cylinder and up against the opposite bracket arm 41. It will be understood that where the bracket 45 and the bracket arms 48 and 41 are made of light sheet metal it will be desirable to hold the same in the spaced relation by a spacing sleeve 50 mounted over the cylinder between and abutting against the two bracket arms 46 and 41.

The bracket 45 is secured b-y rivets or other appropriate fastenings to a vertically adjustable supporting plate 5l mounted to slide in guides 52 of a guide plate 53. This guide plate is riveted or otherwise secured to a portion of the framework as for instance to an angle bar 54 as illustrated in Figure 7.

Y In this same'figure the adjustable supporting plate 5l is shown as having a right-angularly extending foot-piece 54 threadedly engaged by an adjusting screw 55 mounted for rotary movement in the table Il and having a knurled or other head 58 for facilitating the rotation of the screw. The head 56 lies above the plane oi. the table top il, such head kresting on a removable plate 51 to take the wear olf the table and also to provide a cover for a recess 58 below the plate and made in the table to receive a Cotter pin or other key device 59 engaged through the shank of the screw 55 just below the plate forrpreventing the screw from being lifted and allowing rotation of the screw 55 but preventing its axial movementV either up or down. In this Way when the screw 56 is rotated it will cause the foot-piece 54 to either climb up upon the same or to descend along its axial length, thereby either raising or lowering the plate 5I and with'it the cigar tip perforating device. It will be noted that this device is movable up and down Vin an opening or slot 6U in the table H and that such slot adjoins a groove 6I formed in the table top l l.

Theadjustment of the cigar tip perforating device up and down with respect to the slot 68 in the table is made secure by means of a set screw 62 operating through a slot 63 in the guide plate 53 and threaded into the movable supporting plate 5|. The set screw 62 is of course loosened before the adjusting screw 56 isV manipulated. When the adjustment is completed then the set screw 62 is again set tight to preserve the adjustment.

As shown more particularly in Figures 3, 4 and '1 the plunger 21 and needle are reciprocated back and forth in the cylinder 28 and in the head 38 by link arms 84 and 85 pivoted, as indicated at 68, to the rear projecting portion of the plunger 21 and pivoted, as indicated at 61, at their opposite ends to an arm 68. The two arms 84 and 65 may be secured together as by the rivet 69.

The yarm 6B is fixed upon one end portion of a rock shaft 10 mounted in appropriate brackets 1I upon the frame of the machine. This rock shaft is maintained in one position by the action of a coil spring 12 wound about a portion of the shaft 18 with one end ai'lixed to the shaft as indicated at 13 in Figure 7, while the other end 14 is secured to a non-rotative part such as the frame-work oi the machine.

At its other end portion, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the rock shaft 18 carries a bell crank having a horizontal .arm 15 and a vertical arm 18. The bell crank is xed on the shaft 10 and is required to move therewith. The horizontal arm 15 is connected by a pitman 11 with the treadle 18 shown in Figure 2.

The vertical arm. 18 of the bell crank as illustrated in Figure 8 c-arries a block 19 having an opening to slide on a rod 8l)V supported in a bracket 8| vland being Vthreaded. to' receive theadjusting nuts 82and 83 for the purpose of adjustingl and moving the rubber or other resilient or soft stops 84 and 85 toward and from the block 19. By adjusting the stops the limit oi traverse of the needle may be restricted in either Adirection and its'degree of'penetration is thus regulated.

The tip perforating device is preferably enclosed, toexclude dirt, dust and foreign matterVby a casing 86 having a front opening 81 through which vthe head protrudes, and a side opening 88 to admit the hand to the adjusting screw 62.

In operation, an operator sits at the table II with the cigars to' be treated prefer-ably placed at the left side of the perforating device while those cigars having been treated are placed to the right of the device upon the table, from which they may be removed from time to time for packaging and shipment. The cigars are taken singly, placed in the elongated groove 6I of the table, which is of such size and shape as to form a gauge or centering device for the cigars with reference to the perforating device.

The tip end of the cigar is placed rearward and it is mloved by the operator into the cavity 31 of the head 38 while the needle is in a retracted position. The treadle 18 is then stepped upon by the operator causing the rock shaft to be moved as indicated in Figure 8, This movement is accompanied by the forward thrust of the tapered part 35 of the needle out through the cavity 31 of the head 38 and into the closed tip end of the cigar. Promptly after this movement the treadle is released and the coil spring 12, which has been wound so that it possesses potential energy because of the state of tension by the forward rocking movement of the shaft 18, now unwinds, causing the restoration of the parts to the rearward position and causing the needle, or rather the tapered portion 35 thereof, to retire from the cavity 31 and from the cigar tip it has but lately entered.

During all of this time the electric motor I6 has been driving the exhauster I1 which has placed the receptacle I8 under a condition of partial vacuum. This condition is transmitted by the conduit 20 to the interior of the hollow plunger 21 and the hollow needle 33; whereby as the needle is moved forwardly, penetrating the cigar tip and cutting its Way into' the tobacco leaf and ller, the cuttings and the particles of the tobacco removed by this action of the needle are withdrawn rapidly and eiectively by the vacuum through the hollow needle and the hollow plunger 21 and into the receptacle I8.

The screen 24 in the receptacle I8 will prevent these cuttings from being drawn out through the conduit I9 and into the exhauster and will require that the cuttings fall to the bottom of the receptacle I8. The accumulation of these cuttings may be observed and removed from time to time.

By virtue of the tapered portion 35 of the needle the entrance of the needle into the cigar tip will be facilitated. Not onlyits entrance but also the withdrawal of the needle will be accomplished Without disrupting the structure of the cigar tip. Moreover this tapered form in entering will tend to back the loose parts of the filler against the side walls of the perforation made, as the tapered form will have a wedging action. The inclined end 36 Will create a shearing effect as this inclined end is driven into the cigar and itwill also'offer a wider port areaffor theY action' of the suction than would be had Vif the vport were at right angles to the axis. The larger bore of the plunger 21 behind the more restricted diameter of the hollow needle places the full force of the suction immediately behind the needle and also preventsclogging, as might occur with smaller passages.

For thin cigars, such as panatelas, itv will be desirable to lower the perforating device through the slot 60 in the table to enable the needle to become centered with respect to the cigar.

At other. times with cigars of great diameter it will be desirable to elevate the perforating device so that in these cases also the needle will perforate centrally the tip. The adjusting device 56 provides for these changes in elevation of the perforating device. The adjustment may be made quickly and easily. Also the degree of penetration of the needle may be adjusted easily and quickly by the device shown in Figures 8 and 9 and thus a perforation in the cigar tip at the proper position and of the proper depth may be had. A single operator may perforate large quantities of the cigars with this device for the reason that once the adjustments have been made, it only becomes necessary to place the cigars one after another in the groove I, push the same into the cavity 31 of the head and then depress the treadle 18 and subsequently remove the foot from the same. The vacuum arrangement will automatically take care of removing the cigar cuttings, leaving a clean and clear perforation; While the coil spring 12 will automatically take care of restoring the parts to the initial position in readiness for subsequent actuation upon a following cigar. j

After perforation the cigars are then wrapped or packaged, and by reason of the perforations they are more desirable articles of commerce in that the user is not required to use a cigar cutting implement or to indulge in the objectionable practice of biting off the closed tip end of the cigar before he is able toindulge himself in the use of the same.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention and we do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cigar perforating machine comprising a table having a slot, cigar perforating means, and an adjustable support for elevating and lowering the perforating means through said slot.

2. A cigar perforating machine comprising a table having a cigar receiving groove and a slot adjoining the groove, cigar perforating means, and an adjustableI support for elevating and lowering the perforating means through said slot.

3. A cigar perforating machine comprising a table having a cigar receiving groove and a slot adjoining the groove, guides in the slot, a support movable in the guides, adjusting means to raiseY said plate to raise and lower the same, a bracket on the plate, and a cigar perforating device ycarried in the bracket.

5. A cigar perforating machine comprising a cigar tip receiving head, a perforating device movable in and out of said head, an operating means for said device, and adjustable stops for limiting the throw of said device in either direction. v

6. A cigar perforating machine comprising a cigar tip receiving head, a perforating device movable in and out of said head, a rock shaft, a connection between said rock shaft and device, ay treadle for operating said rock shaft, an arm movable with said rock shaft, and adjustable resilient stops for engaging the arm.

7. A cigar perforating machine comprising a table for supporting the cigars, hollow cigar tip perforating means vertically adjustable through said table, suction means connected to said periorating means to Withdraw the cigar cuttings a rock shaft connected to reciprocate said perforating means, and a treadle for operating said rock shaft.

MARTIN CARABALLO. JOSEPH G. ZENDEGUI. 

